IBM i Developers: It's a Great Time to Embrace Low-Code App Builders

CategoryIBM iValenceNitro App Builder

Recently I've had some fascinating conversations with people regarding Nitro App Builder, the low-code app builder included with Valence.  In case you've never heard of it before, Nitro App Builder is a tool that's quickly taking over as the development method of choice for many apps that would have been coded manually in Valence just a year or two ago.  It creates really useful apps by configuring them interactively, with little or no programming required.

The Wild Evolution of AS/400 to IBM i

CategoryIBM iAS/400Valence

With IBM i turning 30 I thought it would be fun to recap the evolution of this amazing operating system over the years from my perspective. The first system I ever worked on was a model B50 way back in 1991, and of course it was called AS/400 at the time. I thought the machine was pure magic with its tan towers and reel-to-reel tape drive (some of you may have to look that up).

CNX Turns 22 Today!

CategoryValencePRMSBPCSAS/400IBM i

Twenty-two years ago today we officially registered CNX as an Illinois corporation (wow, that's a shocking thing for us to write), so we thought it might be fun to take a short trip down memory lane on this blog post.  So much has transpired in those years that we could write a book, so we will necessarily need to keep it brief here — perhaps one of us will write that book later!  

Anyway here it goes:

Bumping up the number of CGI jobs servicing your Valence apps

CategoryApacheIBM iPressTip of the MonthValence

Your IBM i HTTP Server powered by Apache is a powerful web-serving system akin to a bank staffed with multiple fast-working tellers. The AJAX requests coming in from your front-end apps are like customers entering the bank to perform transactions. Each "customer" queues up in an orderly line on a first-in/first-out basis, and is serviced by the next available "teller" as soon as they're finished dealing with the prior customer.

Create an intuitive grid app with row selection, processing multiple transactions at once

CategorybuttonIBM iNitro App BuilderPressrow selectionsRPGTip of the MonthValence

Just about every business has a situation where users need to perform a single process against multiple items in one pass.  For example, you might have a list of openChecklits invoices that you'd like to flag as ready for payment, or a group of inventory items that you would like to transfer out of a special holding area.

Correcting issue with partially visible window on migrated AutoCode apps

CategoryAutoCodeExt JSIBM iJavaScriptrenderToSencha Architect

Older Valence file maintenance apps created through Nitro AutoCode can sometimes exhibit a display problem upon migration to Valence 5.1.  This can also be true for AutoCode-based file maintenance apps created in 5.1 builds prior to 5.1.20171202.0.  The most common symptom is that a portion of the edit/add window displays outside of the portal boundary, as shown here.

Setting up Valence on IBM i for External Access with SSL

CategoryApacheIBM iSSLTip of the MonthValence

You already know that installing Valence on IBM i and using it internally within your corporate network is fast and easy.  Your company’s employees should also be able to access your Valence instances through a standard VPN connection when they are located outside of your company’s physical network.  But what about when you need to provide secure access to Valence apps to the outside world directly through the Internet?

Building a Bridge Between Your 5250 Programs and Valence Apps

CategoryIBM iPressTip of the MonthValence

Old UI habits die hard!  You may have developed some of the most beautifully functional and user-friendly Valence apps for your company, but the green screen legacy can still be hard to overcome. So long as your company's operations require at least some 5250 programs to be used -- as is typical for IBM i sites that have been around for a while -- then persuading users to flip from Client Access over to their web browser to do, say, a quick inventory or order look-up in Valence may pose a challenge.